I'd like to start a comment thread here and see how people are feeling. What are your thoughts on the game? Specifically, are you concerned that the Buffs blew it? ...I'm talking about this team's trends consisting of the offense stalling out at key moments, unfortunate injuries, missed field goals, bad play calling, etc.

Was the game vs. Michigan a continuation of the Buffaloes' recent history of blowing/eventually losing winnable games?

Or are you on the complete opposite side of the spectrum of how you're looking at this game. Does anyone feel very impressed? Are you focusing on the Buffs' awesome start and relative close end score given the talent of the Wolverines?

Honestly yes, I am having flashbacks towards the last couple years with blowing chances.
However I am anxious to see how this team responds to adversity. I think they are a 6 or 7 win team (before bowl game) if Sefo can get healthy fast.
Special teams is obviously a huge concern as well as our defense on the edges. Don't know what to expect with Diego out now. Maybe just go for two all the time like Oregon? But that cost Oregon the game vs Nebraska.
I'm not giving up, a lot of football left. Getting a win in Eugene would be huge.
Also, we did play pretty damn well for the most part against a top 5 team on the road. We were supposed to lose by more than we did and that game probably goes down to the last team to hve the ball if Sefo doesn't go down IMO.

I think that if Lady Luck had not taken a crap on us, we would have been EXTREMELY happy today. I think we pull out a victory if Sefo doens't get hurt.
That would have led to our defense NOT getting winded and ST panicking like they did.

However, overall, I think we sent notice that CU football is legit once more.

We have MAJOR injuries to overcome now, so our season might not be as bright as previously thought (which is a shame iwth all the seniors on the team), but I think a bowl game is still a possibility.

I think that if Lady Luck had not taken a crap on us, we would have been EXTREMELY happy today. I think we pull out a victory if Sefo doens't get hurt.
That would have led to our defense NOT getting winded and ST panicking like they did.

However, overall, I think we sent notice that CU football is legit once more.

We have MAJOR injuries to overcome now, so our season might not be as bright as previously thought (which is a shame iwth all the seniors on the team), but I think a bowl game is still a possibility.

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To Skiddy's point from yesterday. "Legitimacy" is one of the possible narratives. However, unless you saw the first half, that message wasn't delivered.

The sports channels framed the game as a top ten team whoopin' ass on the hapless Buffs. No mention of a scare delivered by the offense, or a defense that largely stymied a top team. Nope, it was portrayed as a recruiting video for Michigan and, seriously, an anti-recruiting video for CU.

I am happy that CU confirmed the suspicions around here. The buffaloes are for real. I am unhappy that we lost. However I am the most upset with the season ending injuries. Diego really gave us a chance through his performance on kickoffs and D-Mac is going to be missed sorely the rest of the season. If Sefo can manage the pain from that ankle sprain, CU will be alright.

2-1 after 3 was right in line with what people expected. A loss next week to the Ducks isn't a back breaker either, but they are vulnerable and CU could definitely steal one.

Going into the game, I told my friends that keeping within 17 points and competitive for most of the game would be a "moral victory." However, that's for us fans, and I expected the players to be psst about losing.

After seeing how the team stacks up against a legit team, I'm underwhelmed by a "moral victory"....we had this one. I am pleased though that the coaching staff and players seem upset and raw that they let this one go. I'm annoyed that we lost, but it's an aggravated, mad annoyance. It's not a depressed annoyance, like if we got blown out. For that, I'm content... ...but still annoyed...

Even last year or two years back we would ahve been blown out and we never would have considered having a chance.
The program is headed in the right direction, and barring a few injuries we would have been in this game until the end with a chance
to win.

The score went along with how I thought (42-24 in the score prediction thread) so I came in with low expectations. Definitely disappointed, never an excuse for giving away points but also encouraged by the offense and to a certain extent the defense since these type of teams have always been our weakness. I think there is a lot of room for improvement on the defense this year and things are fixable which gives me hope for the rest of the season. Overall just mad we use the new and "improved" punt team formation, it makes no sense to me even with a guy like Peppers back there.

Im more upset about the injuries than the final score. I didn't expect a win, but having Gonzalez, Sefo and McCartney for the Oregon game might have been the difference there. Oregon is vulnerable, but we need all our horses. We don't have all our horses.

Im more upset about the injuries than the final score. I didn't expect a win, but having Gonzalez, Sefo and McCartney for the Oregon game might have been the difference there. Oregon is vulnerable, but we need all our horses. We don't have all our horses.

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Yep. Yep. Yep.
Diego's consistent KO's through the EZ have had me cheering every time. He's been perfect in XPs and near perfect on FG's. Losing the key special teams playmaker hurts.

McCartney is a team captain. So is Sefo. Seeing senior leadership get taken out hurts. The injuries are way worse than the loss.

Now that I am at work and talking to others that casually follow the scores. (didn't watch the game, or casually flipped past it occasionally)
CU has a reputation for bad defense, got beat convincingly with 45 points being scored on them, to them the game was not even close.

Frustrated. We have issues with depth and that is my biggest concern. Our starting lineup can play with anyone but if we have injuries like we did Saturday, we are not able to adapt because the depth just is not there yet. I am very concerned about what our record will be now with the injuries mounting. If Sefo cannot go, I do not see this team winning many games left on the schedule.

Going into the game, I told my friends that keeping within 17 points and competitive for most of the game would be a "moral victory." However, that's for us fans, and I expected the players to be psst about losing.

After seeing how the team stacks up against a legit team, I'm underwhelmed by a "moral victory"....we had this one. I am pleased though that the coaching staff and players seem upset and raw that they let this one go. I'm annoyed that we lost, but it's an aggravated, mad annoyance. It's not a depressed annoyance, like if we got blown out. For that, I'm content... ...but still annoyed...

I'm not happy that we lost but I got a different read on the OP. The question seems more about do you see this as a continuation of previous seasons and I don't.

In the past we've seen the Buffs give up. They were outmanned and outclassed when they stepped on the field and they knew it and they gave up.

Saturday I saw a team fight. Sefo for sure but others as well. I didn't see them give up. I saw them catch some horrible breaks, and as the game unfolded we saw the difference size and strength will eventually make in a game but damnit they kept fighting.

There are no moral victories. But we didn't give up and that's different.

CU is coming out of the OOC with the best possible position, at least that anybody expected, 2-1. Staying within 17 of the #4 team on the road isn't too shabby.

As others I am sure have observed, the game was there for the taking, but CU made too many mistakes. I am looking at you punt team, and unnamed person(s) responsible for coaching that abortion of a punt formation.

I still think the max number of W's is five. Sorry, but that is how I see it. CU is too thin talent wise, lack of quality depth and the OL still limit this team. They are improving and I will root them on, but I have a hard time coming up with more than 3 P12 wins.

Here's my takeaway - our defense has made another step up from last year, but as Michigan's unreal success running to the right of the defense showed, it's not ready to be a top defense. Other teams will attack the right of the defense as well - it needs to step up.

Our offense has the potential to be awesome - with Sefo. We have no depth at QB, and that's a big problem with a QB who might be gimpy all season long.

Our special teams continues to be "special". It cost us the game, plain and simple. With Diego out, it's even worse.

Finally, there was nothing in that game that showed me that the team has figured out how to win. Destroying weaker opponents like CSU and ISU means nothing. We thought it might have, but it doesn't.

So I'm not happy. I'm actually pretty ****ing far from happy. I'm probably as disappointed as I've been in a long time.

CU remains limited by the fact that in year four, there still is nobody at QB ready to play other than Sefo. Maybe Montez is, maybe he isn't, I am not ready to give up on him but this remains a weak point.

The OL still cannot get a push against anybody not named UMASS or Charleston Southern. When Montez went in, CU really needed the ability to mix in a regular 3-4 yard run. In other words, an OL that could dictate a portion of the game when it was really needed. When you couple that with the spotty pass pro, a lot of games are going to come down to crunch time and CU will only prevail if the QB can put the team on his back and carry them. See paragraph above.

Special teams, what more needs to be said?

The D is the bright spot. LB's are light but overall, I like what I see from the D.